Getting a head start on next year’s gardening season and the club’s annual tour, the Elmira and District Horticultural Society is hoping Heidelberg’s green thumbs will be up for a showcase come next July.
Elmira was the most recent venue for the tour and in past years visitors explored the botanical arts of Conestogo and Hawkesville. So what was it about Heidelberg that caught the eye this time around?
“I was dropping something off there one day and I noticed what beautiful homes and gardens there were there and I thought: wouldn’t this be a great place to come and tour? [I noticed] how well-kept they were and how beautifully they were arranged and all of the different colours,” said organizer Barb Smith.
![With the growing season steadily fading, Barb Smith invites gardening enthusiasts in Heidelberg to look toward Elmira and District Horticultural Society’s garden tour next summer. [Elena Maystruk / The Observer]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/post_feature_garden.jpg)
Even in the winter months a gardener’s work is not done. That’s especially true for those with plans to showcase their efforts in summer. As well, inviting the appraisal of strangers can be stressful. Putting the word out early allows gardeners some time to plan, said Smith, and, there’s no shortage of curious enthusiasts to dole out the praise.
“People are just nosy they want to see what is in other people’s back yards – that’s the bottom line. They like to see something that they can aspire to.”
A little pressure can be a great motivator too, she said.
“Why would they want to be on the garden tour? Well, of course to show off all of their great work, but also it’s a great excuse to all sorts of things done around the house … and it is a lot of fun.”
The garden tour helps to fund a long list of horticultural efforts each year including the society’s junior garden club, as well as library books and an annual scholarship presented to a local student pursuing an education in horticulture. It also helps pay for the hanging baskets in Elmira’s downtown core and maintenance of township flower beds.
Next year’s tour takes place July 5, when six or seven Heidelberg gardeners will display their work. There is no deadline for application at this time. Questions can be directed to Barb Smith at barbs@rogers.com.
